An ultrastructural and cytochemical study of microbodies in the genus Nitella (Characeae)

Abstract

Electron microscopy of the cells of the characean alga Nitella flexilis revealed the presence of numerous spherical inclusions which morphologically resemble plant microbodies. The structures have a dense granular matrix and are bounded by a single membrane. Many of the microbodies contain very electron-dense nucleoids that were shown to be alpha-amylase sensitive. In cells of the young apex, microbodies are the most abundant cellular organelle and are intimately associated with dilated cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes, and with large osmiophilic lipid bodies. Although the microbody population appears reduced in mature branchlet cells and internode cells of the main axis, they exhibit a characteristic and frequent association with the chloroplasts. Turnover of microbodies involves some autolytic degradation of the body matrix until complete digestion presumably occurs. Developmental changes of microbodies were monitored with the cytochemical localization of lysosomal aryl sulfatase and acid phosphatase activities. The current study is of interest since catalase, an enzyme marker of microbodies in a variety of tissues, could not be detected using both cytochemical and enzyme assay methods. The functional role of microbodies in Nitella cells is explored in relation to presently available information.